Chronic hospitalized alcoholics were subjects in a study designed to evaluate the effectiveness of a combination of behavior modification techniques in changing drinking and related behaviors, and achieving moderation. The following procedures were studied: videotaped self-confrontation of drunken behavior, discrimination training for blood alcohol concentration, aversion training for overconsumption, discriminated avoidance practice, alcohol education, alternatives training, and behavior counseling. All of the techniques were applied to Group 1 (n = 23), and only the last three techniques were applied to Group 2 (n = 19). After 1 year of follow-up, significant decreases in alcohol intake were observed for both groups, but Group 1 decreased significantly more than Group 2. Favorable changes were also observed in drinking companions, choice of alcoholic beverage, and drinking environment. It is concluded that some chronic alcoholics learned to drink in a controlled manner as a result of the techniques used and the program orientation.

Problem drinkers in the community were subjects in a study that evaluated the therapeutic potential of learning techniques in changing abusive drinking patterns and achieving moderation. The following procedures were studied: videotaped self-confrontation of drunken behavior, aversion training for overconsumption, discrimination training for blood alcohol concentration, alternatives training, behavior counseling, and alcohol education. All the techniques were applied to Group 1 (» = 23), the last four to Group 2 (« = 19), alcohol education only to Group 3 (n = 21), and the last three to Group 4 (n = 17). During the first year of follow-up, significant decreases in alcohol intake were found for all groups, and the percentage of moderate drinkers changed from .0% to 62.5%. Significant differences between groups were not found. The effects on outcome of a large variance in pretreatment subject characteristics such as alcohol intake, as well as the amount of possible change in alcohol intake, the program's learning orientation, and blind follow-up are discussed as factors that may partially account for the lack of differential treatment effects. These issues are considered when comparing the results of this study with the results obtained in a similar study at Patton Hospital with chronic alcoholics. We conclude that moderation is a more attainable and feasible goal for problem drinkers than for chronic alcoholics.Evidence is mounting that drinking usually begins during adolescence and that social

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